In this day and age, the expenses to ensure the quality of life can be pretty expensive—including child care. Like everything else, it is also affected by price hikes in products and services. Therefore, knowing the costs of child care in your area is reasonable for weighing options and making sound decisions. This article will discuss the cost of daycare in the Chesapeake Bay Area.
The Daycare cost in Bay Area
Chesapeake Bay Area is the third largest estuary in the world, with a 200-mile-long stretch. No wonder it’s part of six states, including the whole district of Columbia, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. In that sense, the cost of daycare within the Bay Area depends on your state.
The thing is, four states in the Bay Area top the places with the highest cost of child care in 2022, according to World Population Review. The top one, to be exact, is Washington DC, which demands $24,243 per year. The other three are New York (top 5 – $15, 394), Maryland (top 6 – $15, 335), and Virginia (top 9 – $14,063). Meantime, the cost of childcare per year in Delaware is $11,021, Pennsylvania is $11,842, and West Virginia is $8,736.
Assume those figures may go up or down depending on practices locally within a state. Additionally, the pandemic crisis has been taking a toll on the childcare sector for over two years. Based on LendingTree’s report, every year, there’s a whopping 41% increase on average in center-based child care since the crisis began. In 2021, it also shared that a family must shell out $14,560 per year for daycare in Virginia.
In Virginia Beach, the marketplace Winnie shared that the average monthly cost of center-based child care is $798. It includes full-time, part-time, and other types of providers. On the other hand, daycare prices decrease as the child ages. In Fairfax County, the weekly cost of center-based daycare for infants reportedly demands between $380 to $485, while it’s $357 to $470 for toddlers. By the time they enter preschool age, it drops to $225 to $300.
Cost factors of Daycare expenses in the Bay Area
Various factors influence the cost of childcare in and out of the Chesapeake Bay Area. The primary determinant is the salary rate of child carers which differs from state to state. Their fees are expected to be high because of the qualifications and demands they need to meet to be childcare providers. A daycare employee’s duties typically include preparing meals, changing diapers, ensuring children’s safety, and more. Aside from these, they also facilitate fun and educational activities for their wards.
Since the pandemic, daycare centers have also added processes to ensure children’s health. Thus, they also spend on protective tools and gears other than the materials they use in their facilities.
Go to daycare or not?
Although financially demanding, many parents still choose to entrust their kids to daycare centers. The main reason is the benefits of center-based child care offset the expenses. It is practical for busy working parents who need to feel at peace while away from their kids. Moreover, daycare centers help kids adopt some learning skills they need when entering kindergarten.
One more thing, childcare in Virginia can be cost-effective. It is if you choose a daycare center that adheres to the standards and provides quality service. An excellent example is Rainbow Preschool & Child Care Center in Virginia Beach.
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